An online ad looking for musicians to form a “conservative” version of Rage Against the Machine has the internet wondering if someone missed the point of the source material.
The Proposed Plan for a ‘Conservative Rage Against The Machine’
A recent post on Craigslist put out a call for any bassists and drummers who would be interested in forming a “conservative Rage Against the Machine” in Kannapolis, North Carolina. The city of approximately 60,000 people sits a little less than 30 miles northeast of Charlotte.
“Looking for politically conservative bassist & drummer to start the right’s version of Rage Against the Machine,” the listing states. “I plan on singing, playing guitar and writing a lot of rage type songs and would like to tour the area opening up for political events.”
In addition to any original music, the poster says they would also like to have a setlist of “freedom oriented” cover songs to play at events.
“If you love America and are pissed about what the left and globalists have done to our country, please contact me.”
The text on Craigslist is accompanied by a photo of the actual Rage Against the Machine performing onstage.
Best Responses To ‘Conservative Rage Against the Machine’ Ad
The internet did not disappoint when reacting to the call for conservative Rage Against the Machine musicians. A post containing a screenshot of the ad has blown up with hundreds of comments on Reddit.
“Fox News, I will do what you tell me! Fox News, I will do what you tell me!” one commenter wrote, parodying the outro lyrics of “Killing in the Name.”
Others suggested potential band names, including:
- Rage For The Machine
- Cog in The Machine
- Rage on Behalf of the Regime
- Rage Against the Working Class
“You can’t rage against the machine while literally being part of the machine,” another commenter opined.
This is far from the first time conservative-leaning music fans have seemingly not understood which “Machine” the band was directing its Rage toward all of these years.
READ MORE: Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello Claps Back at Elon Musk
During a tour stop in 2022, Rage Against the Machine showed messages on a video board calling to “abort the Supreme Court” following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. This immediately ignited comments from some suggesting the band “stick to playing songs” instead of lecturing about their political beliefs.
In 2024, guitarist Tom Morello went on a spree of correcting some of the disinformation being spread on social media about the band. While most of it was directed as false claims they had required vaccination proof for attending their reunion shows, the guitarist also shut down one person who stated that they were “rage for the machine” when they played the 2000 Democratic National Convention.
Morello responded, “We played a protest AGAINST the convention. You guys are so stupid.” The show in question was a free concert staged across the street from the DNC in Los Angeles in 2000.
10 Most Memorable Rage Against The Machine Activism Moments
People should know what they are getting from a band named Rage Against The Machine. If the lyrics didn’t tip them off, surely any number of the band’s activism moments would provide some clues. Here are 10 of the most memorable moments of activism and protest from Rage Against The Machine’s career.
Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll